[Correlations between redistribution areas observed on exercise thallium-201 myocardial SPECT images and the coronary collateral circulations in patients with myocardial infarction].

The significance of coronary collateral circulation for redistribution in the infarcted zone was evaluated in 16 patients with history of myocardial infarction and severe stenosis (> or = 90%) of the coronary artery. Redistribution areas were quantitatively measured using the redistribution ratios and redistribution indices on the infarction-redistribution map obtained by thallium-201 scintigraphy with single photon emission computed tomography. Coronary collateral findings were categorized in 4 classes according to the Rentrop's grading. There was good, positive linear correlation between the redistribution ratio (Y) and collateral grading (X) (Y = 0.21X + 0.10, r = 0.92, p < 0.01). The redistribution index (X) also correlated well with the collateral grading (Y) using a good, positive quadratic equation (Y = 0.32X2 + 0.24X + 0.04, r = 0.89, p < 0.01). These results suggest that the measurements of the redistribution areas in the ischemic zone in myocardial infarction correlated well with collateral perfusion. Collateral perfusion severer than Rentrop's grade 2 markedly reduces the severity of ischemia and increases redistribution areas.